When it comes to plugging in and dining out, Atlanta has the best airport in the U.S.

It's also tops when it comes to connecting to another flight and finding amenities such as a mini-spa or specialty shop to while away the time before takeoff.

The plaudits for Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, the world's busiest airport, come in a new survey of up to 930 travel agents by the Travel Leaders Group, a travel agency company. The agents based their responses on their own experiences and feedback they get from the business and leisure travelers they work with.

Chicago's O'Hare, the second busiest airport in the U.S., also got high marks for business traveler services, amenities and spots to grab a bite. But it was deemed the worst hub in the U.S. for having to connect to another flight, according to the survey.

Other top vote-getters include Minneapolis-St. Paul, a favorite for restaurants and amenities; Dallas/Fort Worth for making business travelers' treks easier; Charlotte, ranked the second-best hub for making connections; and Orlando, which is tops for entertaining families with children.

The survey results arrive as airports increasingly seek to upgrade the perks and comforts they provide travelers to enhance their time inside the terminals, and to increase revenue.

They also come as passengers often spend hours at the airport, arriving early to clear security or wait for a connection.

"The layovers can be long, and unforeseen circumstances can happen, which will delay or even cancel a flight," says Steve Loucks, spokesman for the Travel Leaders Group, "so (airports) want to make sure they are an attractive candidate for people to fly through."

Among respondents, 42.2% say Atlanta provides the best services for business travelers, followed by Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The perks and services that business travelers find valuable range from access to data ports to the ability to ship packages overnight, Loucks says.

But, he says, "One of the biggest things for any business traveler is the ability just to plug in. Atlanta has one of the best Wi-Fi systems of any airport."

Atlanta also is the U.S. hub with the smoothest connections, according to 40.5% of respondents.

Chicago's O'Hare, on the other hand, was the hub fliers most wanted to avoid if they had to hop on another flight, with 56.3% saying they'd rather not have to connect there. New York's JFK was right behind it. Atlanta also made the least-popular list, with 33% saying they'd rather connect elsewhere.

Airports are keenly aware that while passengers wait to get on a flight, they want something to do — or eat, because free meals are scarce in coach class nowadays.

Some airports have upped the ante on customer comforts, adding mini-spas and even golf greens to make waits more palatable.

Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago O'Hare are ranked as the best airports when it comes to amenities and also dining options.

Of the 95 million fliers expected to come through the Atlanta airport this year, "70% of those passengers are getting off one plane and going to another, and sometimes they may have an hour ... to three hours" to wait, Miller says. "Business travelers make their choices about which hub they're going to connect through ... knowing they'll have the kind of amenities they're looking for."

Minneapolis-St. Paul also has made conveniences a priority. The airport's conference center has rooms for business travelers who want solitude, and space for up to 100 people for a meeting, says spokesman Patrick Hogan. Last year, the airport began renovations on its G concourse that allow passengers to do work and order food on Ipads without straying from the gate area.

"People can choose to connect through Minneapolis or another airport, and we want them to connect here because that translates into more air service for people in Minneapolis-St. Paul," Hogan says. He added that conveniences such as new restaurant seating also are "good economic sense. People can spend more. They can eat more and drink more because they don't have to leave the restaurant to get to the gate. They're already there."

Gotta love good food

Tim Riemenschneider, an international sales director for a consumer product company who lives in New Richmond, Wis., has noticed the changes at Minneapolis-St. Paul and likes what he sees.

The airport, he says, "continues to impress me with the number of restaurants which provide good-tasting food, not just typical airport fare."

Margaret Bowles, an attorney who lives in Winter Park, Colo., appreciates the ease in making connections in Charlotte. "The terminals are closely connected," she says. "You don't have to take one of those annoying trains. It's an easy walk."

Melissa Donia, a facilitator and test driver in the automotive industry who lives in Jupiter, Fla., also finds Charlotte is easy to run through, though it's also a nice place to sit and wait.

"It is my favorite place to get stuck in, lay-overed, or just pass" through, she says. "And what more can you say about an airport that has rocking chairs throughout it to just sit back, chill, and wait till your next flight?"